Pentagon not asking veterans to donate tissue upon their death

The United States Department of Defense opened a brand new brain tissue repository. The goal is to study the effects of traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder on servicemen and women.

But, there is a problem. The repository, or Brain Bank, only has four brain specimens to study. It needs about 100 so researchers can start getting answers to why so many military veterans and active duty are committing suicide and struggling with depression.

The reason it only has four specimens is that not many servicemen and women know about the Brain Bank or know how to make sure their brain tissue gets to the research centers.

The Department of Defense does not permit staff to approach members of the military to consider brain tissue donation upon their death. Also, when a service member dies the DOD is not permitted to ask their next of kin for consent to harvest brain tissue for research.

Dr. Daniel Perl was hired by the Department of Defense to run the Brain Bank. He says the only real answers to the problem will come through research.

“I know how to do it. I can do it. I have all the tools now to do it,” said Perl.

“There's a state-of-the-art lab down the hall. I just need to fill it and I'll bring it home,” he said.

Joshua Caskey recently retired officially from the U.S. Marine Corps. He and his wife Kelly Caskey are raising their four children in Cranberry.

Caskey suffered a brain injury during his second tour in Iraq.

"One of the gates was left open,” said Caskey. "Nobody got a shot off. It just happened so quickly, it exploded. It killed three Iraqi policemen."

Shortly after the blast in his barracks from a suicide bomber, Caskey thought he was fine. When he returned home, he started to experience problems.

Kelly Caskey said, “We're going through a lot, we may look like a perfect family from the outside. But, we're really just trying to survive.”

Even though Josh Caskey is in college at Robert Morris University full time and getting good grades, he says every day is a struggle.

Kelly agrees. “The best days you get to see a glimpse of Josh. You hear him singing, he loves to sing,” said Kelly Caskey. “So, when he's singing you know it's an OK day.”

The worst days are difficult for her to talk about.

“The worst days I'm so terrified. I'm terrified if he's going to make it, if this is just too much for him,” she said.”

“You have to watch other people's responses. Is someone going to irritate him and it's going to set off his rage?” said Kelly Caskey.

Perl said veterans like Joshua Caskey can be helped by research started at the new Brain Bank. He wants to spread the word that the Brain Bank exists, so researchers can get the tissue they need to someday uncover treatments to help veterans who are suffering.

“The most important thing is to let the next of kin know this is my wish,” said Perl. “This is what I want to happen. And to make sure they know where to call and who to call.”

Kelly Caskey said the need for research is critical.

"I think that's what keeps anybody going who's been injured, or family member, caregiver, spouse of somebody who's been injured," she said. "You just have to hold onto hope, faith that things are going to be better, things are going to be OK."

:00.11:00.. THE U.S. MILITARY NEEDS MORE BRAINS. THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE IS SPENDING BILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO ROACH WAYS TO HELP THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, MANY OF THEM RESIDING IN PITTSBURGH. THE RESEARCH LAB IN THE PENTAGON IS MISSING SOMETHING. SHANNON PERRINE DISCOVERED A POLICY CHANGE COULD SOLVE THAT PROBLEM AND IT WOULDN'T COST A DIME. Reporter: INSIDE THIS ROOM RIGHT HERE IS THE MILITARY'S BRAIN REPOS TORY OR BRAIN BANK, ONLY THREE PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO THIS ROOM. THERE ARE ONLY FOUR BRAINS HERE FOR THEM TO RESEARCH. THEY NEED ABOUT A HUNDRED AND GETTING THEM IS TRICKY. FOR NOW THE LAB WORKERS AT THE BRAIN BANK JUST OUTSIDE OF D.C. WORK WITH WHAT LITTLE THEY HAVE. THE DOD HIRED DR. DANIEL PEARL TO RUN THE BRAIN BANK AND START SOLVING A BIG PROBLEM, VETERANS GETTING NO RELIEF FROM THE EFFECTS OF BRAIN INJURY. I KNOW HOW TO DO IT. I CAN DO IT. I HAVE ALL THE TOOLS NOW TO DO IT. THERE'S A STATE OF ART LAB DOWN THE LAB. Reporter: YOU JUST NEED TO FEEL IT. I JUST NEED TO FEEL IT AND I KNOW WHAT DO. I'LL BRING IT HOME. WE'RE GOING THROUGH A LOT. WE MIGHT LOOK LIKE WE'RE THE PERFECT FAMILY FROM THE OUTSIDE BUT WE'RE REALLY JUST TRYING TO SURVIVE. Reporter: KELLY KNOWS HOW CRITICAL THE NEED IS. ONE OF THE GATES LEFT OFF, NOBODY GOT SHOT OFF. Reporter: HER HUSBAND SUFFERED A BRAIN INJURY WHEN A SUICIDE BOMBER SPED INTO HIS BARACKS. SOME TOOK SHRAPNEL. BEST DAYS, YOU GET A GLIMPSE OF JOSH. WHEN YOU HEAR HIM SINGING,S IT'S AN OKAY DAY. THE WORST DAYS, I'M TERRIFIED IF HE'S GOING TO MAKE IT. IF THIS IS JUST TOO MUCH FOR HIM. YOU HAVE TO WATCH OTHER PEOPLE'S RESPONSES. IS SOMEONE GOING TO IRRITATE HIM AND IT'S GOING TO SET OFF HIS RAGE. Reporter: THE DOD IS NOT PERMITTED TO ASK NEW RECRUITS FOR BRAIN DONATION. SO DR. PEARL'S LAB SITS MOSTLY EMPTY. TO GET BRAIN TISSUE DONATIONS HIS STAFF IS FORCED TO RELY ON WORD OF MOUTH IN THE MILITARY COMMUNITY. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO LET THE NEXT OF KIN KNOW THIS IS MY WISH. THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO HAPPEN, AND TO MAKE SURE THEY KNOW WHERE TO CALL AND WHO TO CALL. Reporter: DR. PEARL SAYS WHEN CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY DIE, ALL THE NFLEGS ON WHAT HAPPENS TO THE HUMAN BRAIN IMPACTED BY AN EXPLOSION IS BURIED FOREVER WITH THEM. JOSH'S BROTHER JOE WAS THIRD BATTALION MARINE. ONE MORNING, IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, I GET THE CALL FROM MY MOM, MY WIFE PICKS UP THE PHONE AND SAYS JOE IS DEAD. Reporter: ON HIS SECOND TOUR IN IRAQ, AN IED KILLED HIM. JOSH BELIEVES JOE WOULD HAVE AGREED TO DONATE HIS BRAIN TO RESEARCH, ESPECIALLY IF IT WOULD HELP FELLOW ACTIVE DUTY AND VETERANS WHO SURVIVE BLAST INJURIES, PEOPLE LIKE JOSH, BUT NO ONE ASKED JOE BEFORE HE WAS KILLED IN 2010 AND NO ONE IS ASKING NOW. WITH ALL THE VETERAN THAT ARE INCARCERATED OR HOMELESS OR HAVE PROBLEMS WITH ADDICTION, IT'S A PROBLEM. WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF THESE GUYS. . Reporter: HE SAYS IF THE PENTAGON WANTS TO SOLVE A TOUGH PROBLEM, IT SHOULD ASK A TOUGH QUESTION. THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES ARE CUTTING -- COUNTING ON IT. IF SOMEBODY HAS BEEN INJURED, YOU JUST HAVE TO HOLD ON TO HOPE, FAITH, THINGS ARE GOING TO BE BETTER. THING ARE GOING TO BE OKAY. Reporter: I GOT TO TELL YOU JOSH HAS BEEN THROUGH COUNTLESS TREATMENTS FOR PTSD AND TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY. HE'S A PRETTY GOOD PLACE RIGHT NOW. HE'S IN COLLEGE FULL-TIME. EARNING A 4.0. HIS WIFE KELLY BY THE WAY EVERY BIT AS TOUGH AS HER HUSBAND. THIS RESEARCH COULD REALLY HELP THEM. THE BRAIN REPOS I TORE HAS A WEBSITE. IF YOU ARE A VETERAN, TELL YOUR NEXT OF KIN ABOUT YOUR WISH TO DONATE BRAIN TISSUE. THE LINK TO THE BRAIN TISSUE REPOS I TORY IS ON THE WTAE P.M.R.COM.

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